Community Investment Input Sessions

Community Input Session - Fall 2021 

In 2017, the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) developed a 5-Year Fair Housing Plan through a HUD process called Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. The Plan outlined goals related to fair housing, and in it the County also made a commitment to reinvest all Community Development Block Grant program income within two specific census tracts – neighborhoods on the southside of Ypsilanti, located south of Michigan Ave (census tract 4106) and the LeForge area (census tract 4112). Most importantly, the reinvestments must be decided based on resident input. Community input was collected in Fall 2021 through in-person meetings, a virtual session, and an online survey for census tract 4106. 

According to U.S. Census Bureau, census tract 4106 has a total population of 1,282 residents (American Community Survey, 2019) with a median household income of $18,085 per year. Census tract 4106 includes households located south of Michigan Avenue and north of I-94 between S. Mansfield Street to the West and S. Hamilton Street to the East. 

In 2019, we held a series of community conversations, which resulted in the completion of a the new playground in Parkridge Park in Fall 2020. Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) and the City of Ypsilanti engaged over 100 residents living around Parkridge Park to identify and prioritize what type of investment they want to see in their community and residents voted that a new playground in Parkridge Park was their top priority. 

In efforts to collect resident input regarding additional community investments in neighborhoods located on the southside of Ypsilanti, the Washtenaw Urban County and OCED held five input sessions in October and November 2021, and attended one regularly scheduled community meeting, to hear from residents about the types of community infrastructure investments that are important to them.

A total of 25 residents attended input sessions and 4 residents provided input in an online survey – of the 29 total participants, 33 responses were provided (some residents provided more than one suggestion). Below is a breakdown of attendance by session:

Tuesday, October 5 | Location: Parkridge Park Pavilion - 7 residents in attendance

• Wednesday, November 3 | Location: Hamilton Crossing Community Room - 4 residents in attendance
• Tuesday, October 19 | Virtual session | Location: Zoom - 1 resident
• Wednesday, November 10 | Location: Arbor Manor/Forrest Knoll - 4 residents in attendance
• Saturday, November 13 | Location: Parkridge Community Center - 5 residents in attendance 
  *This was not an official input session, but OCED staff attended the Heritage Park Neighborhood Association meeting and engaged with 5 residents
• Wednesday, November 17 | Location: New Parkridge Community Room - 4 residents in attendance
• Online Survey Submissions - 18 people responded to an online survey available for those that could not attend an in-person session, however, only 4 submissions were from residents within the census tract available for CDBG funding.

To view a 2-page summary of the input session reporting results, click here. A longer, more detailed summary of community input is also available here.